Game Check System Gets Upgraded

Checking in your deer and turkey is easier this season with an upgraded system so hunters can use any device with internet service to report their game and get confirmation numbers, even if that number has been misplaced.

CheckIN Game, Indiana’s online harvest reporting system for hunters, has been made more user friendly going into the fall deer and turkey hunting seasons.

Several upgrades now allow hunters who previously used CheckIN Game to view past harvest data.

“One real benefit is that you can now look up your confirmation number if you lose it,” said Mitch Marcus, DNR Division of Fish & Wildlife’s wildlife chief. “Last year this was not an option. This makes the process easier for hunters and DNR staff.”

Deer and turkey hunters can report their harvest for free using any device with Internet connectivity at CheckINGame.dnr.IN.gov without having to take the animal to a check station.

“This saves hunters time and money by allowing them to check in their game from the convenience of their home or directly in the field,” said Mark Reiter, DNR Fish & Wildlife director.

Last fall, hunters checked in 53,389 deer and 330 fall turkeys online. DNR officials have said participation in the system will continue to increase as more hunters discover its ease and convenience.

Hunters using CheckIN Game must write the confirmation number they are provided on the temporary tag they place on their harvested deer or turkey. An enhancement to the system allows conservation officers to use a confirmation number to check the validity of harvested game, eliminating the need for hunters to have a printed confirmation receipt.

CheckIN Game will be available on Sept. 15, which is the start of the urban zone deer season. The system will be available for all deer seasons and fall turkey seasons.

Hunters still can report their deer or turkey at any of more than 500 traditional check stations. A list of check stations by county is in the 2013 Indiana Hunting & Trapping Guide at Hunting.IN.gov.